Ohio State Football: Brian Hartline becoming top recruiter no surprise

One assistant coach on the Ohio State football team is becoming one of the top recruiters in college football and it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

With the turmoil surrounding the Ohio State football program last year Zach Smith was let go and Brian Hartline was named the interim receivers coach. Soon afterward I wrote Hartline was the right guy at the right time and he proved me right.

With the strides the receivers made last season the interim tag was taken off and now he is becoming one of the top recruiters in college football.

Having two players chosen in the first three rounds of the recent NFL draft and another picked up as a free agent certainly will help on the recruiting trail. However, coach Hartline was already impressing recruits, and at least one parent, before he had those aces up his sleeve.

Prior to the draft, Taylor Lehman of Eleven Warriors wrote an interesting article concerning Marvin Harrison Jr.’s recruitment. Here are a couple of things Mr. Lehman reported the four-star wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class said beginning with his thoughts about the receivers coach and Ohio State.

"“I’ve talked to (Hartline) multiple times, and he just knows so much about the receiver position,” Harrison said. “He’s just a phenomenal coach, probably the best receivers coach in the country. Also, obviously Ohio State has changed their offense over the last couple years. They’re more of a passing team, and that speaks when you look at their numbers.”"

Now what the young receiver said his father thinks of coach Hartline.

"“He likes Coach Hartline as a coach,” Harrison Jr. said. “He knows that if I were to go there, he doesn’t have to worry about me not getting the right coaching. He and Coach Hartline agree on a lot of things and have a great relationship.”"

His father certainly knows a little bit about the position as Marvin Harrison Sr. was one of the greatest receivers ever to play in the NFL. He also realizes coach Hartline learned his craft playing on Sundays for seven years.

A look at how his receivers improved under his tutelage last season proves coach Hartline knows how to convey the things he learned.

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Last season Parris Campbell had 90 receptions for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns. Not only did Campbell catch 50 more passes than the year before he became a threat on downfield routes, an area in which he struggled with previously.

Terry McLaurin became the big play receiver many Buckeye fans expected him to be when the speedster joined the 2014 recruiting class. He caught 35 passes for 701 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

Johnnie Dixon’s receptions jumped from 18 to 42 as he became a much more reliable receiver. He still averaged 15.9 yards per catch and scored 8 touchdowns.

K.J. Hill caught 70 passes and improved his yards per reception average to 12.6. Austin Mack was having a fine season before it was cut short due to injury and Binjimen Victor’s yards per catch improved to 16.9. Also, true freshman Chris Olave became an impact player late in the season.

It’s not difficult to see  why coach Hartline has become a top recruiter who has two outstanding wide receivers Gee Scott Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba committed to the 2020 class and others strongly considering playing for Ohio State.

It’s one thing for a coach to tell a recruit what he can do to develop him into becoming a top-flight receiver but it’s makes a bigger impact when he can prove it. Brian Hartline has plenty of proof on his side which is a big reason why he has become a great recruiter.